The present invention relates generally to a load carrying system for supporting and transporting loads on a user's back. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for comfortably supporting a load, such as a backpack, buoyancy compensator or the like, on a user's back and hips, providing adequate support for the load while affording the user considerable freedom of movement.
Conventional backpacks and similar structures for supporting and carrying a load on a user's back typically include a load carrying compartment and shoulder straps allowing the user to hold the load. Small capacity packs often require no other support structure for comfortably supporting the load. However, larger capacity packs and carrying structures, such as buoyancy compensators for divers, often include a rigid internal or external frame structure designed to lend additional support to the load and to distribute the load properly on the user's back and hips. As the capacity of the pack and the corresponding weight of the load increases, it is generally advantageous to transfer as much of the load as possible to the user's hips, thereby removing strain from the back which, over time, may lead to fatigue and pain in the muscle and joints of the back.
Conventional internal and external frames, while providing some degree of support and load distribution, suffer from several drawbacks. For example, such frame structures often do not space the pack load from the user's back, trapping perspiration between the pack and the user's back. Efforts to create an air space for comfortably venting such perspiration have been of limited success. Moreover, rigid pack frames often severely limit the user's freedom of movement, resulting in a somewhat clumsy structure that can be unwieldy when performing sports such as trekking, climbing, skiing and the like.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved load support structure that can be incorporated into backpacks, buoyancy compensators and the like, that offers effective load support while permitting the user to transfer a considerable portion of the load from the shoulders to the hips. Such a structure would advantageously also create an air or venting space between the user's back and the load to allow the user to carry a load over an extended period with less discomfort due to perspiration. In addition, there is a need for an improved support structure that allows the user considerable freedom of movement.